


I'm Not Gonna Make it Alone

by SilverMoonSky



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemy AU, F/M, Gabriel Agreste is an Asshole, Gen, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Poor Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:46:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23133382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverMoonSky/pseuds/SilverMoonSky
Summary: She took a step closer towards him. “I asked you a question. Where did you get the box?"Adrien didn't answer the question. His heart was beating faster and faster, and disquieted thoughts raced through his head. He couldn’t recall the last time he had felt this much fear. Nathalie had always been such a stoic woman; why would this one box change that?“Adrien.” She pressed. Her voice sharpened as he stayed silent. “Answer me.”“I swear, Nathalie, I don’t know! It--it just appeared in my room. . . .”Or:Nathalie walks in before Adrien has a chance to open his Miraculous box, confiscating it upon realizing what it is. Ladybug is forced to face Stoneheart on her own. Adrien is left ignorant of the Miraculouses until Gabriel realizes that his son being chosen for the Cat Miraculous may have its own benefits after all. . . . but how long would Adrien do this before he snapped?
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 14
Kudos: 25





	1. Chapter 1

Adrien ran into his room and dropped himself bluntly onto his bed, laying flat on his stomach with his head buried against his pillow. Resentment churned inside of him as he fought against the urge to sob.

 _You are_ not _going to school. I will_ not _have you outside in that dangerous world. You are_ not _like everyone else._

He squeezed his eyes shut as he recalled his father’s words to him. This wasn’t _fair_ . His father didn't understand. He never would. Adrien had been close, so, _so_ close. The school had been in his reach, the front doors looming in front of him as he took the steps two by two, each bringing him a step closer to the place he’d longed to be for _months_ . Where he’d be surrounded by teachers who wouldn’t bore him, where the comforting smell of chalk would waft around him as it scraped across the blackboard, and he’d have friends, friends who would love him, care for him, and never, _ever_ leave him--

Anger and sadness slipped through the cracks of the strong front he had been putting up in his mind. Instead of dismissing the emotions as he had been previously, however, he embraced them this time, slowly letting himself _feel_ the thoughts he was rightfully experiencing. And the result was relieving. The breakdown Adrien had been anticipating since the start of this conflict finally happened, and he let out all of the frustration as he screamed into his pillow. Because _no_ , he _didn't_ deserve this. It wasn’t fair _at all_ . Why couldn’t his father think of what _he_ wanted for once? He was his son, wasn’t he? Didn't his father want to make him happy?

 _Thump._

He didn't know how long had passed when the noise began. Adrien’s bed suddenly shook forcefully. He tried his best to ignore it, but when it continued, he sat up and stared at his window, puzzled. What could that sound be?

_Thump._

Adrien rushed out of his room and burst open the front doors to see what all the commotion was about. What he saw made him nearly reel backwards in surprise. He watched in horror as a huge beast made of stone rampaged outside the gates of the Agreste mansion, moving slowly but steadily towards the police force. The police were trying their hardest to contain it, having already barricaded it to one side by using their cars to block the beast’s path. There were guns in their hands. It was clear they were ready to fire at a split second’s notice. 

The creature was getting closer and closer, heaving its huge stone body towards them with anger in its gaze. The commander of the police force gave the signal, and the men fired simultaneously at the beast. The bullets buried themselves into the giant’s body. A flash of blue burst upon the stone creature, seeming to freeze it in shock. It shrunk in on itself and stumbled backwards. The light blinded it instantly from view, and for a moment, it seemed as though the ghastly beast had been defeated. Adrien held his breath. Had it really gone down that easily?

A yellow light quickly blew out from where the beast had been standing. The creature that had seemed weak a mere few seconds earlier immediately rose up to its full height. It was noticeably twice the size it had been earlier, and turned its stare at the police before letting out a loud bellow. The police, bewildered, began to flee as the stone beast grabbed vehicles and started to throw them towards the men that had fired.

Adrien had seen enough. He darted back upstairs into his room, swinging over his couch and turning on the television. His worries about going to school were long gone now. Instead, he was pondering over new questions: who was this stone creature, and what was it trying to do to the people of Paris? He observed the news broadcast intently, hoping to find some answers.

It was of no use. Mayor Bourgeois was advising Parisians to stay indoors, and Nadja Chamack reported that this creature was a supervillain that the police were struggling to contain. It was obvious the police wouldn’t be able to do anything about this situation. This stone beast seemed as though it had supernatural powers, and the only way you could combat supernatural powers. . . . was to fight with supernatural powers as well.

He didn't see the small, hexagon box appear on the table in front of him. Yet somehow, he’d perceived its presence. When Adrien lost focus in the news broadcast and his gaze dropped downwards, his eyes widened in astonishment as he took in the sight in front of him.

All he could say was, “what’s this doing here?”

He picked up the box in his hand and studied it. The box itself was black, with red markings engraved on the top. Curiosity overtook him. Adrien reached his hand towards the lid, ready to open it, eager to see what surprise awaited him inside--

“Adrien! Are you safe?” His bedroom door slammed open. Nathalie’s heels clicked on the floor as she came into his vicinity. “The supervillain has been--” she broke off. Adrien jumped to his feet, alarmed, and fumbled to hide the box behind his back. But it was too late. Instantly the color drained from Nathalie’s face when she realized what he was holding.

“Nathalie, I--I’m fine,” He stammered out, secretly hoping she’d avoid looking at what was in his hand. It was of no avail. Nathalie peered at him over her glasses. She was dead silent. He looked away from her, barely able to meet the intensity of the glare she was giving him.

“What is that?” She asked, pointing at the box.

“What is. . . . what?”

“Don’t play dumb Adrien.” Nathalie narrowed her eyes at him. “Where did you get that box?”

“I--I don’t know.” It was the truth. He honestly had no idea where it had come from, much less what it was.

She took a step closer towards him. “I asked you a question. Where did you get the box?”

Adrien didn't answer the question. His heart was beating faster and faster, and disquieted thoughts raced through his head. He couldn’t recall the last time he had felt this much fear. Nathalie had always been such a stoic woman; why would this one box change that?

“Adrien.” She pressed. Her voice sharpened as he stayed silent. “Answer me.”

“I swear, Nathalie, I don’t know! It--it just appeared in my room. . . .” 

Nathalie sighed. It was clear she wouldn’t be getting an answer anytime soon. So instead, she held out her hand and said, “give it to me.”

Adrien took a step backwards, clutching the box with both hands to his chest. “Wh--what?”

“You heard me, Adrien,” she said. “Give me the box. Your father needs to know about this.”

_No._

No no no no no, this couldn’t be yet _another_ thing his father took away from him. This couldn’t be happening. Nathalie couldn’t do this to him. His father couldn’t do this to him--

Nathalie’s voice softened. “Your father knows what’s right for you. This is for the best.”

No no no no no--

This couldn’t be happening. He couldn’t do this. He _shouldn’t_ do this.

Yet Adrien found himself holding his arm out. He found himself once again letting his father dictate the life decisions and choices he should be making for himself. He watched as Nathalie plucked the box from his hand, and this time, he didn't stop her. Because it was easier this way, wasn’t it? To subside to his father’s wills. This avoided conflict. This avoided him losing yet another parent.

Because in the end, it just wasn’t worth it. 

Nathalie gave him a tight smile before slipping the box into her blazer. “Don’t forget about the rest of your lessons later today.” And with that, she walked out of the room.

Adrien could only stare after her in anguish. What had just happened? He had no idea. He had discovered a box, a very unique and interesting box, and went to open it just as Nathalie walked in. She seemed mortified when she saw what he had in his hand. After demanding to know what it was--even though Adrien had told her multiple times he didn't know--she’d eventually taken it from him. She told him his father needed to know about it. And he’d complied.

_Why?_

The resentment that had sizzled within him earlier once again rose up to the surface. Adrien clenched his fists, taking several deep breaths as he came to terms with the emotions seething inside of him.

_Father just wants to do what’s best for me. He’s not trying to be harsh. Right?_

But no matter how much he wanted to, Adrien couldn’t bring himself to believe those words. What his father was doing to him wasn’t fair. It never would be.

And so, for the second time that day, Adrien flopped onto the bed, buried his head into his pillow, and screamed.

* * *

Marinette was wondering exactly what catastrophe she had got herself into.

After casting her yoyo onto one of the gargoyles on the Notre Dame Cathedral, somehow flinging herself halfway across Paris, falling abruptly, and landing painfully on top of a tree (luckily it had been the tree and not the pavement--she could only imagine what would have happened if that had been the case), she was currently questioning her all the life decisions that had led up to this point.

“I’m so clumsy,” Marinette groaned. She felt sore all over. It was a miracle she hadn’t broken anything; she assumed it was the magical suit protecting her. She carefully maneuvered herself onto the ground and pulled on her yoyo, giving it a tug twice before it finally came loose--and promptly bonked herself on the head with it. She winced and rubbed her scalp.

Not for the first time that day, Marinette wondered why she was the one that had been chosen. After all, she had been a superhero for barely five minutes and was already messing things up. Tikki had told her she was chosen, but what made her stand out from everyone else, from someone like Alya? She was awkward, clumsy, and scatterbrained. She was a coward. All she had wanted to do was run and hide when Stoneheart appeared. How could Tikki possibly say Marinette was up to the task?

A sudden series of deafening _bangs_ reached Marinette’s ears. She jumped in surprise, looking upwards just in time to see a building crash to the ground with blankets of smoke rising swiftly around the area. 

She merely gaped at the horrendous scene.

How the heck was she supposed to fix that? There was no doubt that that had been caused by Stoneheart. Yet though it was what she had to do, the last thing she wanted to do was face him. Did Tikki _really_ expect her to do this? She was no superhero, she was just Marinette! How in the world was she going to save Paris, and on her own, nonetheless? Where was the partner Tikki had told her about?

_You can do this, you can do this, you can do this. . . ._

Marinette took a deep breath as she reassured herself. This would be okay. She would be fine. She was chosen to save Paris. She couldn’t let down all the people that would be counting on her. After all, if she didn't do this, who else would?

With that thought in mind, she twirled her yoyo behind her, repeatedly saying, “trust yourself, trust yourself. . . .”

She cast the yoyo. It caught on a building. She tugged, and, yelping in surprise, swung herself towards where she had to face Stoneheart. She staggered, stumbled, and made plenty of errors as she made her way towards the place Stoneheart was headed, but she told herself she could do it. All Marinette needed to do was trust herself.

She was trying her best. With each swing, with every building she passed, it was clear that she was getting better and better. Sure, she would make mistakes. But the people of Paris were counting on her. She could do this. When she finally reached the stadium Stoneheart had jumped into mere seconds earlier, she continued to repeat the same mantra in her mind over and over again.

_You can do this, you can do this, you can--_

She couldn’t do this. Marinette nearly faltered backwards in shock as she perceived what was happening in front of her. She heard Rose’s ear splitting scream. Her classmates were scattering in different directions while Stoneheart raged after Kim. She watched in alarm as Kim stumbled onto the ground, just barely rolling out of the way in time to avoid Stoneheart’s fist. He ran as fast as he could, away from him. Stoneheart clenched his fists, seeming to get angrier and angrier by the second. He let out a roar and charged after him.

All of Marinette’s instincts screamed at her to jump in. But the only thing she could tell herself as she buried her face in her hands was, “oh, I can't. I'm not gonna be able to do it. . . .”

But images continuously flashed in her vision. Of Stoneheart causing lean buildings to topple, of Stoneheart grabbing ahold of her family, her friends, suffocating them, crushing their spines, of Paris being completely and utterly _destroyed_ , all because she couldn’t do her job properly--

Marinette suddenly heard a harsh cry of terror. She lifted her face from her hands just in time to see Stoneheart seizing Kim in his grasp. Kim struggled in the supervillain’s fist, clearly terrified. Stoneheart brought the boy closer and closer to his face. His yellow eyes glowed with contempt.

_Oh no. No, this can’t be happening, I can’t do this, I’m not good enough, I should never have been chosen in the first place, I can’t, I can’t, I--_

“What are you waiting for, super red bug?” A voice yelled. Marinette’s head whipped up to see Alya filming on her phone. The redhead was looking up at the so-called superhero in disbelief. “The world is watching you!”

She blinked at Alya with her mouth slightly agape. Time seemed to freeze in the moment as Marinette evaluated the choices she could make. Her heart throbbed painfully, so loud it was all she could focus on. Either she would be a coward and ditch her classmates to face Stoneheart on their own, or she could actually step in like the hero she was supposed to be and save the day. In the end, it was her own decision. She could turn back and flee, give up the earrings, and never be a superhero again. No one would know. No one would care. She could go back to being just Marinette. Just awkward, clumsy, scatterbrained Marinette.

She squeezed her eyes shut as emotion after emotion bombarded her. Deep down, Marinette knew this was something she _had_ to do. She would never forgive herself if she turned away now. Not when Paris was in danger. They were all counting on her, and she was the only one that would be able to defeat Stoneheart.

So Marinette gritted her teeth. Straightened her back. Opened her eyes back up once again and tightened her grip on her yoyo. She launched herself in the air, lashing her yoyo behind her before swinging it to tighten around Stoneheart’s legs. Sliding underneath the supervillain and skidding to a halt on the other side of the stadium, Marinette narrowed her eyes at the beast in front of her. She would put an end to this. Stoneheart was going _down_.

“Animal cruelty? How shameful!” She pulled on the yoyo string, causing Stoneheart to flail before falling backwards. The supervillain grunted, and Kim fell out of the creature’s grasp. The Asian boy barely spared Marinette a second glance before getting up and sprinting to safety. Marinette didn’t blame him. There was a reason why she hadn’t wanted to be here.

“Yes!” Alya exclaimed. She looked excitedly at her with a huge grin on her face. It seemed that for once, Marinette was finally doing something right.

She didn’t have much time before Stoneheart got back to his feet. She had to thread carefully. Marinette gazed at Stoneheart’s form intently, analyzing his previous attacks and conjecturing a plan for exactly what she had to do to defeat him.

 _He gets bigger and stronger with every attack,_ Marinette mused. She cocked her head, thinking, before peering down at her yoyo. _I have to do something different._

“Lucky charm!” Marinette called out, throwing the yoyo into the air. Tikki had explained to her that after she used this power, she would only have five minutes before she transformed back. She had to make this work, or else there was no going back.

A red suit spotted with black dots dropped down into her arms. Marinette stared at it, puzzled. What exactly was she going to do with this?

“Tikki told me I have to break the object where the. . . . the akuma is hiding,” she muttered to herself. Marinette lifted her head and observed Stoneheart as he got to his feet. A sudden realization struck her.

 _His right hand, it's still closed!_ She discerned, adrenaline rushing through her. _He never opens it. It's like the Russian dolls. The object isn't on him, it's hidden in his fist!_

In seemingly seconds, the plan came to her, almost as if it was second nature. Marinette quickly scanned the stadium, noting down what she needed for this to work: Stoneheart’s right fist, Alya, the water pipe, and the water hose. She grabbed the water hose and rapidly secured it onto the head of the suit. When she was done, she dropped it back onto the ground. There was something else she had to take care of first. Stoneheart’s left fist needed to be occupied in order for her plan to be successful.

Marinette hurled her yoyo at lightning speed, letting it immediately wrap tightly around Stoneheart’s left hand. Stoneheart grunted, startled as Marinette snatched up the suit, leaped into the air, and propelled herself towards him.

“Catch me if you can!”

With no other way to capture her, as his left hand could barely move, Stoneheart was forced to grab her in his right hand. Marinette watched with satisfaction as he dropped the akumatized object onto the ground. Perfect; things were going to plan. But she wasn’t done just yet.

“And now. . . . Alya, the tap!” Marinette yelled. 

Alya jumped up and ran over to turn on the tap. Water spurted through the hose and inflated the suit, causing it to get bigger and bigger and bigger, before the pressure resulted in Stoneheart losing his grip. The suit exploded from his fist, and Marinette was released along with it. As her feet skimmed the ground, Marinette directly vaulted towards the akumatized object and smashed her foot on it. The purple butterfly that had been inside fluttered out. She watched as it flew elegantly into the sky. The object in her hand glew purple before turning back into its normal color, and Marinette grinned.

_I did it. I can’t believe I actually did it._

Stoneheart crumbled and fell apart. Ivan was revealed in the stone beast’s place. The boy groaned and rubbed his forehead, clearly confused. “What's going on? What am I doing here?” He asked.

Marinette opened up the wrinkled paper and read it aloud. “‘You haven't even got the guts to tell Mylène you love her, wuss.’” She frowned and walked over to him.

“Kim wrote it,” Ivan said quietly, looking down at his hands. “He's always making fun of me.”

She put her hand on his shoulder. “You know, you shouldn't get so bent out of shape about that. There's no shame in telling someone you love them, Ivan.”

Ivan wrinkled his eyebrows at her. “Hey, how did you know my name, miss?”

“Uh. . . .” Marinette put her arm sheepishly behind her head and smiled awkwardly at him. How was she going to get out of this one?

It was at that moment Alya decides to be Marinette’s savior. “Uncanny, amazing, spectacular! Are you gonna be protecting Paris from now on? How did you get your powers? Did you get stung by a radioactive Ladybug?” _Or_ perhaps savior wasn’t the best word to use. Marinette got to her feet and started to walk away. She was about to transform back; it was best that she didn’t hang around for too long. 

Alya continued, not getting the hint. “Oh, I've got a ton of questions to ask you, uh, miss. . . .”

She turned around and put her hands on her hips. “Uh. . . . Ladybug! Call me Ladybug.”

“Ladybug,” Alya stated as the superhero whisked herself out of the stadium. “Super awesome!”

As she swung from rooftop to rooftop back to her own room, Ladybug was ecstatic. She had done it! She had saved Paris from doom, all on her own! She couldn’t wait to tell Tikki all about it! Because she trusted herself, Ladybug had proved herself wrong. She had defeated Stoneheart. She didn’t mess up like she was sure she was going to. Marinette was now more than just a normal schoolgirl with a normal life, and by stepping out of her comfort zone, she had become the superheroine Ladybug.

Maybe first days back at school weren’t so bad after all.

* * *

After sulking around his room for the better half of the day, Adrien was now sitting on the couch and examining the news broadcast once again. He was telling himself that it was because he had nothing better to do--the bitterness from earlier today had faded into simple resignation--but the truth was, he was intrigued. Stoneheart, the supervillain that the police could barely touch without running away, had been bested by a mysterious ladybug-themed superhero.

“So thanks to this amateur footage, the Parisians now know the identity of their hero!” Nadja Chamack reported. 

“Ladybug,” he breathed. “Her name is Ladybug.” He cocked his head and gazed admiringly at the screen. For a moment, all of his indignation melted away as he acknowledged the new superheroine. After all, how could he _not_ be in astonishment? How did a schoolgirl become a superhero? How did she single handedly manage to defeat Stoneheart with such an elaborate and complex plan? It was incredible, it was amazing, it was--

There was a loud rapping on the door, and immediately Adrien frowned. His mood turned sour when Nathalie walked in.

“It’s time to continue the rest of your lessons, Adrien,” she informed him.

He tried to stay calm. He really did. But annoyance bubbled to the surface and he was barely able to keep himself from glaring at her. Instead he blurted out, “have you talked to Father about the box yet?”

“Your father is very busy. I haven’t had a chance to talk to him yet.”

Adrien let out a frustrated sigh. “Can I at least see what’s in it?”

Nathalie shook her head firmly. “No. That box. . . . it contains something very dangerous.”

This piqued his interest. “What do you mean?”

“Your father will explain it to you later,” she said. “Now come to the dining room so that we can finish up your lessons.”

“Okay,” Adrien said. On the side of him that Nathalie couldn’t see, he clenched his fist.

There had been hesitancy in her expression, he could tell. Nathalie clearly knew that it would be next-to-impossible to get his father to show him the box. He wasn’t stupid; she was only saying that to make him shut up. It wasn’t like his father was going to consider his feelings. Gabriel was only going to do what _he_ thought was best for Adrien.

_Don’t lash out, don’t lash out, don’t lash out. . . ._

What else could Adrien do but stand there? It wasn’t worth it. He couldn’t fight with his father about something as trivial as this. Gabriel always had Adrien’s best interests in mind. If he was doing something, then he had a logical reason for it.

 _But it’s not what_ you _want,_ the voice inside him protested. Adrien ignored it.

So he took a deep breath. He plastered on a fake smile and gave her a nod. Nathalie gestured for him to come downstairs, and he followed her so that he could continue his lessons. The lessons where Nathalie would give boring lectures, drilling him on boring fact after fact, where he’d be sitting with just her, with no fun teachers, no friends, just him, all alone. . . .

He sat down at his seat and pulled out the papers he would be needing for this lesson. Nathalie resumed her teaching, and Adrien listened to the lecture with half an ear. 

Okay, fine. If he couldn’t have his way with the box, then he would just have to do something else. When Nathalie’s back was turned to him, Adrien smiled cheekily to himself. He made a mental note in his head as he planned out what he was going to do. 

He knew _exactly_ what he had to do to get to school tomorrow. If it got him in trouble again, then so be it. But there was no way he was giving up this time.


	2. Chapter 2

Adrien shut himself in his room soon after the day’s lessons were over. Nathalie let out a sigh of relief. She walked over to Mr. Agreste’s office and stood in front of the door, her hand poised to knock. But there was something, some feeling inside of her, that caused her to hesitate. She quietly slipped the Miraculous box out of her pocket and examined it.

She would never be able to describe in words the horror she’d felt when she saw a Miraculous box in Adrien’s hand. Nathalie recognized the box, of course--having known the holders of the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculouses for years, how could she not? Yet never in a million years would she have expected Adrien to somehow get his hands on one, especially not on the day Gabriel finally decides to activate the Butterfly Miraculous once again. Question after question had surged through her: where had he gotten it? Why did he have it? Did he know what it was? And most importantly, what Miraculous did it contain?

She’d seen the hurt in Adrien’s eyes when she took the box away from him. The boy was already suffering; his mother had “disappeared,” and now his father was refusing to let him go to school. But it was too dangerous. Even though it would make him happy (and that was all she wanted for Adrien--for him to be happy), the last thing she needed was to keep track of _two_ Miraculous holders in the mansion. Besides, Nathalie knew it was in her best interest to let Gabriel parent his own son. There was no reason for her to barge into their relationship.

Keeping that in mind, Nathalie clenched the fist containing the Miraculous box, and knocked. A curt “come in,” was heard from inside. She walked in and slowly closed the door behind her, turning to face Gabriel.

“The first akuma went well, don’t you think?” Gabriel asked, standing in front of the computer screen he was designing on.

“It was excellent, sir. Ladybug even forgot to capture the akuma. It’s only a matter of time before we get hold of her Miraculous.”

Gabriel nodded. “She is obviously inexperienced. But what I find strange,” he mused, “is that the holder of the Cat Miraculous didn’t show up to the fight.”

“Ladybug also showed no indication of knowing of a partner beforehand,” Nathalie pointed out. Although she’d suspected that to be the case, it still came as a surprise. Because then that meant. . . . 

_No. . . . it can’t be. Adrien couldn’t have possibly been the one. . . .?_

Instantaneously, Nathalie made the connection. She didn’t want to believe it, but there was no other explanation. It was clear that that was the truth: the Miraculous that Adrien had somehow gotten his hands on was none other than the Cat Miraculous--one of the very Miraculouses Gabriel had finally decided it was time to look for.

This was sheer luck. How had they somehow gotten hold of the Miraculous of destruction already?

Hands shaking, Nathalie opened her palm and slowly unveiled the box.

“I think this is why,” she said quietly. She held her arm out. Gabriel looked up at her, furrowing his eyebrows, before his eyes widened at the revelation. He stepped away from the computer screen and hurriedly walked towards her, snatching the hexagon box from her hand.

“Where did you get this?” He demanded.

“Adrien had it, sir,” she said. “He was just about to open it when I walked inside his room.”

Gabriel was appalled at the thought. “Does he know what it is?”

Nathalie shook her head. “No, but he’s very disappointed that I took it away from him. It added onto the frustration he already feels from not being able to go to school.”

“He knows I only do what’s best for him.” Gabriel lifted the box to his face and narrowed his eyes.

“It still upset him,” Nathalie said. “Maybe if you went and talked with him about _why_ he can’t go to school--”

“I’ve already made it perfectly clear,” he said in a sharp voice, interrupting her. He gave her a look that screamed _don’t argue with me._ Nathalie shut her mouth as Gabriel continued to scrutinize the box. “If this is what I think it is, Adrien isn’t getting it back anytime soon.”

Oh well. She’d tried. Nathalie knew perfectly well that the chances of Gabriel agreeing to give Adrien the Miraculous back was very slim. Yet why did she feel so disappointed on Adrien’s behalf?

Gabriel opened the lid. He shielded his eyes briefly when a flash of green appeared, rotating around him before merging into a kwami. The kwami of destruction opened his large, cat-like eyes, his eager expression melting into confusion when he realized the two of them were there. Immediately his pupils expanded in shock.

“You!” He hissed. “Where’s my chosen?”

“I don’t know who you’re talking about,” Gabriel said coolly, ignoring him as he took the ring out of the box. Nathalie watched as he looked up at the kwami in front of him, who seemed to be outraged.

“Stealing things that belong to other people,” the kwami growled. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”

“But this doesn’t belong to your chosen either, does it?” The black ring had turned silver in his hand.

He scowled, crossing his tiny paws across his body. “Bring me back to my chosen.”

He was ignored. Instead, Gabriel turned to Nathalie. “This is indeed the Cat Miraculous,” he said. “Just what we were looking for.”

It was at that moment the kwami realized exactly _who_ had gotten hold of his Miraculous. He blanched and stared at them in horror.

“Who _are_ you?” He demanded. “And why do you want my Miraculous?”

Gabriel smiled ominously at Nathalie. It sent shivers down her spine, but she forced herself to stand straight. It was important to stay professional, even in less. . . . professional situations. That wasn’t something she was necessarily proud of, but it had to be done.

“This is going quite faster than I expected,” he commented offhandedly. “Now all I need is Ladybug’s Miraculous.”

Nathalie nodded. “Everything is going to plan, sir.” She tried her best to avoid the kwami’s gaze, who was getting angrier and angrier with every passing second.

He wasn’t having it. “Listen up old man,” the kwami barked, flying into Gabriel’s face and glaring him straight in the eyes, “you’re the one that has Nooroo, don’t you? You’re the one who stole the Butterfly Miraculous! Don’t you realize what you’re doing is wrong? The Miraculous aren’t meant to be used for the wrong purposes! You can’t just--”

“You talk too much.” Gabriel reached out and grabbed the kwami in his hand, clenching him in his fist. Nathalie let out a soft gasp. The kwami snarled and quickly wriggled out of his grasp, zipping a couple of feet away from him.

“Nooroo doesn’t deserve a holder like you,” the being of destruction spat.

“You can’t be the judge of that.” Gabriel decided he had had enough. He put the ring back in the box and closed it. Instantly the kwami disappeared out of sight. Silence wafted through the room in the couple of seconds that followed, and Gabriel stood in the same spot, staring at the Miraculous box with a careful, calculated mien.

After several minutes had passed, Nathalie cleared her throat. “What do you plan to do with the Miraculous, sir? And what do you plan to tell Adrien?”

Gabriel didn’t answer her. He walked over to the portrait of Emilie and swung it open. There he gently put the Miraculous box down before closing the safe. He went back to his original position of standing in front of his computer screen, ready to design again.

“Prevent any of Adrien’s attempts from going to school tomorrow,” was all he said. “You are dismissed, Nathalie.”

 _Wait, what? So he isn’t going to tell me any of the things he’s planning. . . ._ that annoyed her, to say the least. Yet she knew better than to push it. Nathalie bit back a protest and nodded stiffly. “Of course. Have a good evening, Mr. Agreste.” 

Gabriel didn’t say anything in reply (was that really a surprise?), simply peering at the screen with an unreadable expression on his face.

As Nathalie let herself out of his office, she couldn’t help but worry. Some harm was sure to come out of this to Adrien. If he was sent to school, it might ease the loneliness he felt--after all, he was absolutely desperate to go--and it would be easier for Gabriel to use the Butterfly Miraculous. But Nathalie was sure that Adrien going to school was the last thing on Gabriel’s mind; especially not now, after it was revealed that his son had been the one chosen for the Cat Miraculous.

Nathalie sighed. It wasn’t her place to interfere, she knew. But she couldn’t help but hope that Gabriel would end up doing the right thing for his son. Adrien deserved that much, at the very least.

* * *

Adrien peeked down into the corridor from the top of the stairs, pleased to see that there was no one in sight. His bag was ready at his side, he was dressed properly, and most important of all, he was eager to make a good impression at school. He had woken up especially early to make sure that this plan would go without a hitch. All he had to do was run down the stairs, take the side door instead of the front one, get through the gate, and he’d be on his way. It all sounded easy in his head, but Adrien knew better than to believe his wistful thinking--he had security cameras to get through, and then the Gorilla, and finally, his father and Nathalie. . . .

Whatever. He would do this. He _could_ do this. All he had to do was successfully get out of the mansion. If he did that, the rest would be a piece of cake. He counted off the seconds in his head as he got ready to make a run for it.

_Three,_

_Two,_

_One,_

_Go!_

Adrien bolted down the stairs, picking up speed as he ran, turned a corner, sprinting towards the door that would lead him outside. With just a couple more steps, he’d be out of the mansion, and he was getting closer and closer and closer, almost there, all he needed to do was open the door and he would--

Apparently bump straight into Nathalie.

Nathalie jumped away from him, surprised. Adrien groaned as he rubbed his head from the impact. He turned around, however, quickly recovering from the shock, because he fully intended to complete his mission. But it was of no use. He paused when he saw the Gorilla now blocking his exit, as expressionless as ever. His large, bulky body covered his ticket to freedom. Adrien turned back around. Nathalie stood in front of him. She had her eyebrows raised and crossed her arms across her chest.

_Darn it._

He’d been cornered. Adrien wished it hadn’t come to this, but now he had no choice. He would have to talk his way out of this one. The problem was that this strategy almost never worked in his favor. 

He cleared his throat. “Nathalie--”

“You know your father’s wishes, Adrien,” she interrupted. “He’s only trying to do what’s best for you.”

Exactly how many times had he heard that same line in the past couple of days? And how many times had he _actually_ believed it? No, this wasn’t fair. He had to fight through this.

“But this isn’t what _I_ want to do!” Adrien exclaimed. “Why can’t I do what _I_ want for once, Nathalie?”

“Your father--”

He continued like he didn’t hear her. He poured every ounce of frustration he’d felt in the last forty-eight hours as he shouted, “it’s the same thing with the box too! Normal kids don’t have their father controlling every part of their life! All I wanted was to see what was inside that box, but you never let me! Can’t you see that this isn’t fair at all?”

Nathalie stared at him, flabbergasted. Her mouth was wide open as she processed what he had just said. Adrien was surprised too. That was probably the biggest outburst he’d had in a while. His father's assistant was now clearly tongue-tied, unsure of what to say to get him under control.

Adrien analyzed the situation around him. Nathalie was unstable now. If he darted behind the Gorilla, he could startle him, and instead of taking the original exit that he’d wanted to, he could take the front door, and if he did that, he could. . . . .

“I raised you better than to talk to someone like that, Adrien.”

The two heads suddenly shot up, just in time to see his father descending down the stairs. Adrien and Nathalie gaped at him. These days, it was rare to see Gabriel Agreste venture even outside of his office, but from _upstairs?_ Adrien wondered what had gotten into him.

“In fact, I’d like to talk with you about that particular box,” Gabriel resumed, disregarding the amazement on Adrien’s and Nathalie’s faces (the Gorilla remained aloof, as usual). “I understand you’re very curious about it.”

Adrien momentarily forgot about his struggle of going to school--later he would realize that that was exactly what Gabriel had intended. Yet despite his better judgement, Adrien nodded. He couldn’t help but let his curiosity get the better of him.

“Yes, Father,” he said eagerly, “I really want to learn more about it.”

Gabriel glanced at Nathalie. They communicated silently before Nathalie let out a sigh and walked out of the room along with the Gorilla. Gabriel gestured for Adrien to come into his office. The two of them went in and closed the door behind them. Adrien stood awkwardly to the side as he watched his father walk over to the portrait of his mother.

Gabriel swung it open. Adrien blinked in astonishment as he watched him pull out the hexagonal box and a book. How had he never noticed that? How had he never noticed that his father kept things behind the portrait of his mother?

Gabriel walked over, Adrien bouncing on his heels with excitement. He was intrigued with what was held inside of the box he’d found. Yet at the same time, he felt as though something was. . . . _off_ . He couldn’t remember the last time he spent time with his father without an appointment since his mother disappeared. And this time, it wasn’t _him_ that was initiating it, it was Gabriel. Since when did his father _willingly_ spend time with his son?

His father stopped and stood in front of him. Adrien looked up. Gabriel smiled at him in return.

. . . .Yes, something was _definitely_ off about this.

“I take it you don’t know what’s in this box?” He asked. Adrien shook his head.

“No. Nathalie took it before I could open it.”

Gabriel frowned at his bitter tone, but didn’t comment on it. “This box,” he said, “holds a Miraculous. A Miraculous is a jewel that when worn, grants its holder powers.”

“You mean, like superpowers?”

Gabriel nodded. “Yes, they grant superpowers. When you transform, the jewels will give you a super suit and enhanced human abilities.”

 _Like magic girl transformations in anime!_ Adrien smiled at the realization. He looked at his father and inclined his head to show that he understood. Gabriel continued.

“Each jewel also has a separate power that makes it different from everything else. Like this, for example,” he flipped to a page in the book he was holding, “is the holder of the Fox Miraculous. Their superpower would be the power of illusion.”

Adrien stared at the book with interest.

“These superpowers are not meant to be used lightly,” Gabriel warned. “Each jewel has a different power, and some are more powerful than others.” He was about to close the book when Adrien stopped him.

“Can I look through the rest of it?”

Gabriel hesitated, exhaling softly before giving in. He handed his son the book, and Adrien flipped through the pages with longing in his eyes. It was obvious to him that the box he’d discovered contained a Miraculous--a jewel that would grant him superpowers! How cool would that be? It would be amazing! He would not only have superpowers, enhanced abilities, and would be granted some sort of freedom, but he could also help the citizens of Paris, just like Ladybug did. . . .

“Ladybug’s powers come from a Miraculous too?” Adrien had stumbled upon the page in the book that had all sorts of information on the Ladybug Miraculous. The costume of the Ladybug in the book was different from the current superheroine’s, but it was similar enough to discern that the two were similar.

“Yes, her powers also come from a Miraculous.” Whereas earlier in the conversation Gabriel had been quite open--something he rarely saw in his father--he was now more closed and reserved, like he usually was. Adrien, however, didn’t notice the slight change.

“It says here that her partner is the holder of the Black Cat Miraculous. . . .” 

Adrien flipped to the next page and was met with the image of a person in a super suit that represented a black cat. The book explained that the Cat Miraculous held the power of destruction, the opposite of its counterpart, which held the power of creation. When put together, the two Miraculouses would grant the user ultimate power, that would give them one single wish. . . .

But something didn’t make sense. Adrien frowned. If it stated here that the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous were meant to be used together, why didn’t the user of the Cat Miraculous show up at yesterday’s fight? Ladybug had been on her own, and had managed to defeat Stoneheart on her own. Yet the book claimed the two Miraculouses were yin and yang to one another.

Adrien mulled it over. _Maybe the Black Cat Miraculous holder didn’t show up because they were busy._ But no, that was no excuse. The only reason the holder wouldn’t have shown up was if something had _prevented_ them from doing so. Like an emergency of the sort, or. . . .

_Or someone taking away their Miraculous._

His head snapped up, and he met his father’s observant eye.

Gabriel stared questioningly back at him..

_No. No, it can’t be. I can’t have been. . . . was I really also supposed to be there too, by Ladybug’s side. . . .?_

Shakily Adrien asked, “what’s the Miraculous in the box?”

Gabriel gazed at his son with an unreadable expression. There it was. The coldness. It was back. Adrien had been foolish to think that his father had ever really cared. The only reason he had called to talk with Adrien was to tell him about the Miraculous that he had been chosen for, that he could _never_ wield, all because Gabriel had deemed it “not right” for his son. . . .

“Father?”

“It’s the Black Cat Miraculous.”

Anger boiled under Adrien’s skin. “So I was supposed to help Ladybug yesterday, wasn’t I? I’m supposed to be her partner, but instead she had to deal with the supervillain on her own! Do you know how much easier things could have gone if I had been there to help?” He was done. He was _so_ done with his father. Gabriel had absolutely _no_ right to control Adrien’s life like this, much less decide what he could and could not do.

Silence stretched in between them for a couple of seconds as Adrien waited for his father to answer. But Gabriel merely stood there, watching his son’s outburst, seeming as though he was calculating something in his head. Adrien was unnerved, to say the least. For a moment, all the annoyance rushed out of him. He’d never seen his father like this. He didn’t _want_ to see his father like this. Gabriel, standing there, acting as if Adrien’s whole life depended on what he was about to say next.

“Wouldn’t you rather help a much better cause instead?” Gabriel asked. He took the book back from Adrien and tucked it under his arm.

He gritted his teeth. “What could possibly be better than saving the citizens of Paris?”

“What about saving your mother?”

_Saving. . . . Mom?_

Adrien’s heart practically stopped. He gaped at his father in shock.

_He brought up Mom. He never brings up Mom anymore. Why did he bring her up?_

“Wh--what?”

What did he mean, save his mother? His mother disappeared! His mother had left! There. . . . there was no _saving_ her. She’d disappeared. How could they possibly--

“Wouldn’t you like your mother back, Adrien?”

He unconsciously took a step backwards. “Father,” he said, his voice quivering, “wh--what are you trying to say?”

“You read in the book that putting together the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous would grant their user one wish,” Gabriel explained. “We have the Cat Miraculous. All we need is the Ladybug Miraculous, and we’ll be able to bring Emilie back.”

“But. . . . Mom _left_ ,” Adrien whispered, fighting back the urge to sob, “she _left_ us willingly. We--we can’t bring her back.”

Gabriel shook his head, and for the first time in a while, he saw a glimpse of sadness flicker across his facial features. “No, son. Emilie never meant to leave us, Adrien. She’s just terribly ill.”

“Wh--what do you mean?”

None of this was making sense to him! First his father tells him about the Miraculous--how does he even _know_ this much about the Miraculous, it wasn’t like it was common knowledge--and then he shows Adrien the book, tells him about the wish, explaining how it could bring his mother back. . . . but his mother wasn’t sick. She wasn’t even _here_. Why in the world would Gabriel be talking about. . . .?

And then it hit him.

No.

_No._

No, that couldn’t possibly be it! Adrien wracked his head for more and more possibilities, but the more he pondered, the more the pieces seem to fit together. Yes, his father was always distant, keeping to himself, rarely in sight, but he couldn’t be the one that was. . . .?

 _He even has a motive, a motive to bring your mother back,_ a voice murmured ominously in his mind. _Just like every supervillain would have._

Adrien stumbled away from him, just barely catching himself with the wall. “You!” He was trembling now. “You--you’re the one that sent out Stoneheart, yesterday, weren’t you? You--you’re the supervillain, aren’t you?” Gabriel stepped closer, but Adrien could barely compose himself. He was shuddering with the knowledge he had now. “Mom--did she--did she ever actually. . . . _actually_ disappear?”

Gabriel let out a sigh. He slowly shook his head.

“So she--she’s still here? With us?” He couldn’t dare believe that, even for a heartbeat. He didn’t want to give into false hope.

“She’s in a coma,” Gabriel murmured. “But trust me when I tell you that she never meant to leave us, Adrien. She loves you too much to ever do that.”

That was it. That was his breaking point. Adrien’s world had turned upside down in seemingly seconds. He couldn’t believe this. All this time, his father had _lied_ to him. Adrien couldn’t hold it together. He _refused_ to hold it together. How could he, knowing he had been lied to for _months_? His mother, his beautiful, sweet, wonderful mother, hadn’t left. She hadn’t disappeared.

“You--you let me believe she left us!” He suddenly screamed. Gabriel recoiled at his son’s tone. Tears were visibly running down Adrien’s face. “I--I thought she _hated_ me! I thought she left because she didn’t love me! I thought--I thought she didn’t love us anymore.” He refused to meet Gabriel’s eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me the truth?”

Gabriel stared at his son, stricken. “I was protecting you.”

“No, you weren’t,” Adrien croaked. He lifted his arms to his face to shield the tears. Gabriel reached out with his arms, meaning to pull Adrien into a hug, but he ducked away. He didn’t want his father’s affection now. Where had his father been when he’d actually needed him?

“You--you’re a _monster_ ,” he whispered. Adrien turned around and ran out of the room without waiting for his father to respond. Despite however many questions he had about his mother, he couldn’t stand to be in the same room as Gabriel right now.

An onslaught of emotions rained on him. The anger, frustration, and horror from what he’d figured out about his father, and then the affection, love, and hope that he felt from knowing that he could bring his mother back to him. . . .

This was all too much to handle. He darted into his room and slammed the door behind him. Adrien flopped onto his bed and squeezed his eyes shut. How many times had he been in this exact same position in the past forty-eight hours? He didn’t _understand_ . The only emotion he was absolutely sure of was the gut-wrenching feeling of betrayal. And he _hated_ it. Absolutely _hated_ it.

He was crying too hard now. He didn’t even attempt to muffle the sobs. But it was okay. At least Adrien was in control of _one_ thing in his life. Because at this point, he had no idea what was happening around him anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The angst isn't going to be stopping anytime soon, in case you're wondering. It's just getting started ;)

**Author's Note:**

> The title of this fic references Alone Part II by Alan Walker. In case you can't already tell, I'm a sucker for enemy AU's. Also, angst. This fic is going to have A TON of angst. I have so many things planned for this fic and I'm super excited! Normally I don't write multi-chapter fics, so this is going to be interesting. 
> 
> In terms of updates: I'm writing this as I go, and I'm a pretty slow writer, so I'll probably update once or twice a month. If you have any feedback or thoughts, let me know! I enjoy reading all your comments. Thanks for reading! :)


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